Aussie Ark Welcome Marsupial Joeys in World First

Aussie Ark have announced a world first with the first confirmed rufous bettong and long-nosed potoroo joeys being discovered in their ‘wild and free’ sanctuary. Parma wallaby joeys were also discovered during the first trapping session of 2023 which monitors the animals living in the sanctuary.

Rangers at the conservation charity set 60 traps in which they caught a record 72 individuals during the five night survey. Each trap contains a selection of carrots, sweet potato or peanut butter which attracts the animals to it.

Both the rufous bettong and long-nosed potoroo are considered to be endangered making the successful breeding of this species even more special.

Aussie Ark Operations’ Manager Dean Reid said the discovery of these precious joeys was an “amazing highlight” of the trapping session.

“It’s proof our animals are successfully adapted to their ‘wild life’,” Mr Reid said. “They are finding food and shelter on their own, creating dens, and pairing up to breed. It’s as good as it gets, and we couldn’t be happier.”

Each animal which is caught is given a micro-chip or if they have previously been caught their micro-chip is checked. They are then weighed, health checked and pouch checked. This information is added to a database which helps to inform future conservation efforts and management of the sanctuary.